One of the most important and crucial stages of international cargo transportation is customs clearance. To protect clients' interests and oversee the customs clearance process, brokerage services are provided. A broker handles customs clearance of cargo on behalf of the client and acts as an intermediary between the carrier and customs.
Without professional support, any error in documentation can result in fines or cargo detention.
- Customs clearance operations are divided into the following stages:
- obtaining permission to use simplified clearance procedures or individual customs regimes
- obtaining a certificate of approval for transportation under seal
- placing cargo in temporary storage during transit
- declaration of goods
- payment of duties and passing the inspection procedure
- control over loading and dispatch of cargo along the subsequent route
The customs broker ensures that authorities comply with the permit issuance and declaration verification deadlines (three days from the date of application and submission of documents) and obtains permission to amend or supplement cargo information, if necessary.
Customs brokerage fees depend on the cargo category, the amount of documentation required, and the number of suppliers in a single vehicle. Products arriving under different contracts require separate declarations.
The most labor-intensive clearance is required for the first or single shipment. For serial shipments, subsequent operations follow a proven process, reducing customs clearance costs for clients.
